Returning
by andy kay
Summary: Guess who's back? Can she and Tommy settle their differences in time to save their friends, and themselves?
1. Returning

Oh, man, when is this guy gonna give up? Tommy groaned inwardly. The latest monster was an incredibly difficult one. And he had other things to think about. Finally, it was Justin that delivered the blow. The Turbo Rangers powered down instead of going straight to the Command Center. That fight required some serious relaxing.  
  
" So, why don't we head to the lake? Get some lazy time?" Adam suggested and the rest of the group followed. Tanya and Kat leaned against a tree when they got there, while Adam and Justin practically fell to the ground in tired heaps. Tommy sat in front of the water to think.  
  
Why'd I have to see you again, Kim? Every time, Beautiful, I have no idea what to do. Kat and I, well we tried, but it was pointless, there was no real chemistry. You told Adam to give me a message. I got it, Kim. I wanted to call, but I was afraid to speak. Maybe writing this letter was better. You said you wanted to explain. Why? After all this time, you now have a reasoning. Man, there are so many questions. I guess I should ask the big one.  
  
Was it Jason? The other guy, I mean. Jason's my bro, so that kind of confuses me. And I thought you guys were "forever friends" you know? I hope you get this letter in time to write back. Rocky told me you had a vacation planned. I guess I'll get an explanation then. Bye, Kim.  
  
" Tommy?" Kat cautiously approached him. " You okay?"  
  
" Yeah, Kat, just thinking."  
  
" You wrote her didn't you?" Tommy only nodded.  
  
" I thought you guys were supposed to be saving the world." A voice chided the group from behind. Tommy quickly rose.  
  
" Kim!" Adam wrapped his old friend in a tight hug.  
  
" Hey, Adam. Hey guys. Kat, Tanya, and Justin?" Justin nodded.  
  
" Kim, we haven't seen you since our run-in with Divatox, what's up?"  
  
" Actually, Adam, I had some old discussions to be covered." Kim stared straight ahead and Tommy gaped back at her.  
  
" Well, we probably should report back, so I guess we'll leave you two at it. Good seeing you, Kim."  
  
" Bye, guys."  
  
" You wanted to give me that news, huh?"  
  
" Yes, but, Tommy, I really want to say this in private." They walked in silence for several minutes, to the parking lot where Kim was parked. They got into the car, and Tommy was the first to speak.  
  
" What did you want to say, Kim?" Kim drummed her fingers on the wheel.  
  
" I lied," she muttered. Tommy barely heard her, and still he was confused.  
  
" You lied? What are you talking about, Beautiful?"  
  
" I was scared, and I lied to prevent any further damage."  
  
" What?"  
  
" The letter. I never met anyone else that I cared about. Something bad happened, and I wanted to tell you, but I was scared you'd reject me."  
  
" What happened?"  
  
" There was this guy, and I wanted to hang out with him, he reminded me of the gang back here, you know? So we starting talking, and I was always telling him about you, a lot. I guess he thought that I really liked him."  
  
" Did he try anything?"  
  
" Well, nothing that bad. But, he did kiss me. More than once. The first time, I just pushed him away, and I thought that we were over that. A week later, he kissed me again, saying that I had been giving him all the signals. Instead of being angry with him, I believed him, so then I wrote you."  
  
" Because of this guy?"  
  
" Noel."  
  
" Why tell me now, Kim?"  
  
" I don't know, with the Pan-Globals over, I knew that I'd be coming home, so I thought that'd it be best if I cleared the air."  
  
" Kimberly. Come on, in all the time you spent as a Power Ranger, you knew not to run away from your problems."  
  
" Tommy, it's a lot easier to say than to do. You of all people should understand." Tommy laid his head back dejected.  
  
" Kat and I, we aren't together anymore. No chemistry. The first time we actually kissed, well, think about kissing your brother."  
  
" I'm sorry. You're going to have to listen to that a lot."  
  
" We all have things to apologize for, to forgive. I learned that while you were gone. Kim, I've changed."  
  
" So have I, Tommy, so have I."  
  
" So, I guess I should go. It was good talking to you again." Silence fills the car as they suddenly become uncomfortable. He takes this as a sign, and begins to open the door. She stops him, grabbing his arm.  
  
" Tommy, wait." He turns to her as he takes the hand she fiercely placed on his arm. His eyes appear more empty than the feeling in her body.  
  
" Goodbye, Kimberly." His cold exit left her stunned, and she sat at the wheel for seconds after he shut the door to her car. As she put the key in the ignition, the tears she had been holding in for years fell quickly. She peeled out of the parking lot, while Tommy stayed behind a tree, tears gleaming in his eyes as well. He watched the car disappear while he took his frustration out on the innocent tree. After solidly smacking the thick trunk of the tree, he shook his head.  
  
" Idiot." And he wasn't talking about hitting the tree. 


	2. Internal Monologues

This chapter is short, but it focuses on the thoughts of both Kim and Tommy. It reveals a little about their feelings and pasts to themselves. Please read and review!  
  
'God, I am so sick of this,' Kim thought. She knew she was wrong in leaving Tommy like that. Of course the letter was stupid. 'There wasn't another way, though.' Kim was used to this internal monologue, and, although it drove her crazy, it was another way to go to sleep at night. She sat in the bed at the local Motel Six, wishing again and again she could have come back before that. She felt bad for leaving it so long, and for not telling Tommy the truth at Muranthius, and again today in the parking lot by the lake. She felt almost like she had betrayed not only him and herself, but the world, by lying to him at their spot. The place where so many firsts in their relationship occurred. First kiss, first date, first 'I love you' shared. And she looked him in the eyes, and lied. 'I was so ready to tell him the truth. No you weren't.' Sometimes she really felt like she had a split personality.  
And as she curled up, circling her arms around the warm body beside her, she tried hoping for peaceful dreams.  
  
'You lose your focus around her, man. Something about that girl drives you insane. You can't fight, sleep, or eat around her.' Tommy tried landing a solid kick in at the punching bag, but it grazed over the vinyl surface with a soft smack, no damage done. 'Maybe it's because at one point you didn't need to with her. She provided all the life you needed.' Tommy gave up, and walked upstairs. As he prepared to take his shower, hopefully to wash away the stains of today and the past, he thought idly about the whys of Kim's return. There was something-something missing from her eyes when she spoke to Tommy. And it wasn't in the emptiness of her eyes. It was in the way she spoke. Her eyes didn't move with her words. They moved ahead, planning what to say next. The trademark way to lie. And Tommy knew she was holding something back. But some part, probably the sane part, of his mind really didn't want to know what that 'something' was. He turned the water on of the shower, as hot as his already burning flesh could stand it. He used the tile to lean himself on as the near boiling point water washed the dirt of today off his back. He ran the many scenarios through his head. He went through every movement Kim might have made, every word said, and still, he could not get any answers. It drove him insane, but, for some reason, he knew the truth would do more. The truth would kill him.  
  



	3. Insights and Revelations

-1I know, I know, I still keep the hope alive for a Kim-Tommy reunion. Well, kinda… They play the old PR episodes on TV all the time now and I find myself (guiltily) watching them…frequently. And now that I'm back on the circuit, I **knew** that I had to post my new chapters. Here's one: Read and Review PLEASE! And if you're really nice I'll add the next one immediately after, um, ten reviews. Okay, maybe not ten…five. Yeah, five is good. Five reviews and up goes the next one. Who are we kidding? I'll have the next one up probably by the time anyone stumbles upon this new chapter.

Kat had always said that a new day brought new memories. She was oddly wise and upbeat that way. The group didn't mind, it was rather refreshing. Her unique brand of chipper was a strikingly similar tone to Kim's but with a naiveté that Kim did not have the pleasure of experiencing. And that is what Tommy thought the next morning as he performed a slow _kata_. He used the movements of Tai-Chi, hoping to relax his unusually tense persona. It wasn't working. He tried thinking about everything: from his recent battles, working out strategies to defeat the next monster in line for attack, and the recent bills piling up in the living room of the apartment he had recently begun renting.

" I just don't get it," he finally muttered hopelessly. No matter what he tried to think about, all his thoughts came back to Kim. She seemed so much more…pained than he remembered. Something had happened to her in Florida. Something to cause her eyes to change, her personality to shift. Something happened to make her quit her passion. _Maybe it's the same thing that made you quit._ Tommy thought guiltily.

The phone ringing brought him out of his unwanted reverie. He rushed to answer it, and successfully picked it up after the second ring.

" Hello?" He asked quickly.

" Tommy, hey man, listen, I know it's early, but, can you meet us down at the center? It's kind of important." Tommy listened intently, detecting quite a rush and dread in Adam's voice. He raised his eyebrows as if his old friend could see him.

" Yeah, you know I'll be there, but tell me what's up."

" We've got a new problem, and Kim is in-involved."

" Is she the new target?" Concern laced his voice, and he prayed to God that she wasn't here escaping a new evil.

" It's not about that. She's not in trouble anymore."

" All right, I'll be there in an hour, I have a stop I have to make first." He hung up the phone, and looked at his phone book, there were only a few motels listed. And, while there were many hotels in Angel Grove, Tommy's instinct told him she would be in a motel. He looked up each of the numbers, and began dialing. Of course, the desk clerks that answered the phone were less than willing to tell the young man the name of a tenant, but he coaxed one into caving.

" Yes, sir. We have a woman by the name of Kimberly Hart registered. I cannot tell you which room."

" Please, ma'am. We got into a fight. She left me and decided to stay in the motel."

" May I ask how you know her?" The clerk was clever, but Tommy had been prepared.

" I am her boyfriend of several years. We got into a fight over something trivial. I just wanted to apologize to her face."

" All right then, room sixty-four."  
" Thank you, I'll be there in ten minutes."

Tommy Oliver was amazed. For once in his life, he was on time. He stood in front of the clerk, who was handing him a small credit card sized room key. He received it in his considerably jerky hand, and she grinned.

" Must have been some fight, huh?" She maintained her sympathetic grin. He smiled grimly, and nodded.

" It was bad. But we both need to talk it out." He began to walk away when the clerk called him.

" Good luck, son." Tommy smiled at the woman, and all but ran to Kim's room. He knew that in order to go through with actually going in, he'd have to hurry. And that's what he did. The key slid in to the door, and he pushed it open. He could've knocked, but he didn't want to give her the chance to run. As he walked in to the room, he called out all he could think of.

" Housekeeping!" Kim had her back to him as he stood in the foyer of the relatively large room; he couldn't see her, and likewise. She turned and began to walk toward him, but her face was focused on the little boy on the terrace, which was ground level, so there were no major concerns.

" Oh, well, we were just…What are you doing here?" Tommy couldn't answer, his mind still reeled from the word 'we.' He was about to ask about it when a young boy of only five or six ran to her, his thick caramel hair sticking up in a style Tommy could only call 'bed-head,' watching the young stranger with curious hazel-brown eyes. Tommy glanced as curiously as the child.

" Hello," Tommy said, the confusion he was feeling evident.

" Tommy, this is Tristan Thomas, my son." Kim looked carefully at Tommy.

" Wow, I thought he looked a lot like you, his hair and eyes are a little darker, but…"

" I should have told you."

" No, you said it yourself, Kim, it was your life. I no longer had a right to know," Tommy said, trying to hide the hurt, anger, and bitterness in his voice.

" You'll always have the right. You will always be my best friend, my…"

" Brother?" He didn't conceal the bitterness now. Kim blinked back tears. She reached for his hand, lightly holding his fingers.

" My love." She was not crying, only for her son's sake, and Tommy looked away. He wanted to give her time to say what she was trying. He pulled his hand away and put it on the boy's head.

" Hey, buddy. So, wanna tell me some stuff about your mommy?"

" Oh, yeah. She's great!"

" I won't argue there," Tommy whispered, but Tristan caught it, smiling. Tommy grinned back. They had a secret. " I just wanted to see, Kim. I'm sorry. But, I'm needed back at…" He stopped, not sure if it was okay to reveal the secret.

" Tristan knows, but I forgot that. You see, sweetie, this man is the old white ranger…"

" Your white knight."

" That's what we called him. Go, tell Zordon I said hi."

" Oh, Kim, maybe you should come with. I have a feeling you need to see this." Kim didn't like the look in his eyes. But, she had to give Tommy his due credit. He was holding back his anger, for her son. That helped things a little bit, but it wouldn't solve the problems sure to arise when they had to talk this out. She had a feeling Tristan wouldn't be between them.

" Can he transport?"

" I'm sure, given where his genes come from…" Tommy didn't even want to ask if maybe Kim had double power on that one. Jase seemed to be the most likely suspect if he had to guess. They weren't together now, but Tommy wondered if maybe they had been briefly. _Kim wouldn't have a one-night-stand, she had wanted to wait until marriage. And after those plans changed, she still had to be in love, _Tommy knew that much about Kim. She wouldn't have changed that much.

" He's not Jason's. We were never together. After Muranthius, I realized that it probably looked that way, but, no. Just my best friend. _Jason's_ the brother."

" Well, we need to get to headquarters." Kim nodded and Tommy took her hand. He grabbed Tristan and pulled him into his arms. In only a few seconds, they were at the new Command Center. Kim noticed the surroundings were different, but she figured they would be. Jason had told her of the original blowing up, what she didn't expect was to see everyone staring at her in shock.

" Hi, guys."

" KIMBERLEY," Zordon's powerful, soft voice radiated throughout the atmosphere. She was near tears when she regarded the man who she had come to think of as her father. " ADAM SAID YOU WERE IN ANGEL GROVE. I AM GLAD TOMMY BROUGHT YOU HERE. AND…"

" Zordon, guys…This is Tristan, my son." The looks on the ranger's faces were priceless.

" Wow, Kim, I never knew."

" No one knew, Adam. Except me and Jason, who found out by accident."

" So, Tristan, would you like a tour?" Tommy asked. Tristan eagerly nodded. Tommy picked him up and put him on his shoulders. _He's always been good with kids, _Kim thought. " Would Mommy like to go, too?"

" Sure."

" Zordon?"

" Of course, Tommy, Kimberly is always welcome here. Welcome to the Command Center, Tristan." Tommy noted how Zordon's voice had become very soft now. " When you are done, Tommy, we'll need you in here."

" Is something wrong?" He asked, but received no answer. He walked off, leaving them with a puzzled look.

" Hey, buddy…" Kim cooed to Tristan as they walked away. Adam and Kat, the only rangers who actually knew the pair at all, turned toward each other.

" What was…" Adam asked.

" Is he…" Kat asked at the same time.

" I didn't know Tommy and Kim had a son," Justin said. They all turned towards him in shock.

" Unless he's not Tommy's," he quickly amended. He looked at Kat. " Which I'm sure he's not. Can I shut up now?"

" I'm sure they'll explain everything. Now, Zordon. You said you were reading an energy spike in the area. One you'd never dealt with before."

" PRECISELY, TANYA. BUT I BELIEVE I MAY NOW KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE SPIKE."

" You think it's Kim?"

" NO, JUSTIN. THE ENERGY IS COMING FROM TRISTAN. IT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE OF HIS GENETICS."

" Because he's Kimberly's son? Would that cause that much energy?"

" I BELIEVE SO. RANGERS, WHY DON'T YOU INVESTIGATE THE DOWNTOWN AREA, JUST TO BE SAFE."

" Sure, Zordon. Let's go," Adam said. When Tommy was gone, Adam, being the second-longest standing ranger, was in charge. The group disappeared in a flash of lights.

" Aye-aye, Zordon. That doesn't make sense. Tristan wouldn't even have active powers," Alpha Five droned, as curious as the rangers.

" IF HE WERE THE SON OF THE TWO MOST POWERFUL RANGERS, HE WOULD. I CAN ONLY HOPE THAT IS THE CASE."

" If not?"  
" The Rangers have a little bit of an issue," Adam said, as he had returned only a second before. Thinking he was speaking about the child, Alpha went into his 'aye-aye' mode.

" Oh, Aye-Aye. Aye-Aye-Aye."

" Alpha, it's no problem. We just have a big monster, we need Tommy for the Megazord."

" Right here, Adam. I've got to go."

" No! You can't leave again. Mommy said you couldn't be there with us before. You have to stay now!" Tristan was sobbing. Kimberly was blushing. And Tommy was fuming. All a bit too much for the room. Realization dawned on him, but he didn't want to hash out old wounds in front of everyone. He quickly grabbed a pen and paper, writing down his address for Kimberly. He stuck it in her hand.

" Come by later. I think we need to talk. And Tristan, I will see you later." The boy grabbed him in a hug and Tommy almost cried. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise. Never again. Never." He was looking at Kimberly as he said this, and the entire room knew what it meant. As the Rangers teleported off, Kimberly looked at Zordon.

" So, how have you been?" She asked sheepishly.

" WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO TELEPORT YOU AND TRISTAN TO YOUR MOTEL, OR TOMMY'S?"

" Might as well go wait at Tommy's."

" VERY WELL, IT WAS VERY GOOD SEEING YOU KIMBERLY."

" Aye-aye, we missed you, Kim."

" Yeah, I missed you guys, too. I guess we're ready." She held Tristan tightly to her as she felt the energy of the teleport take over her for only a second, then nothing, and finally she sat inside the living room at Tommy's apartment. " Now this is how you do it."

" Mommy, why do we have to be here? Why'd we have to leave?"

" Tris, we talked about it, remember?"

" I know, but it's weird. It's different."  
" It's home. It was once for me, and I know you'll love it here. You're safe here Tris. You won't be hurt again."

" What if the bad men followed us?" Tristan cried into her shoulder.

" We're protected. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise, baby. Remember?"

" I know, but you always said that. And we kept moving, but…"

" I'm sorry, sweetie. We're home."

Tommy walked in with Justin and Adam, and saw Kim sitting with Tristan in the living room. " Hey, buddy." Tristan ran into Tommy's arms and Tommy lifted him high into the air. Kim rose as well, greeting the other two.

" Maybe Tristan here should go with us, Justin and I were just going for pizza. That sound okay?"

" Yeah! Please, Mommy?" Kim nodded her consent, and Tommy passed the caramel haired child over to his best friend.

" See ya when ya get back?" Tristan nodded.

" We'll take care of him, Kim. No worries. You know how much I love kids," Adam said as he and Justin exited. The door closed and the pair remaining stood in an awkward silence.

" Your own apartment, huh?"

" Yeah, when I briefly raced for my uncle, I decided maybe it was a good idea to find my own place. A lot less hassle." He sat down and offered her a seat as well. Kim sat unusually uncomfortable.

" So, you probably want to ask a big question, huh?"

" Why didn't you tell me?" Tommy asked through his clenched teeth. He was by no means an angry person, but he wasn't exactly happy right now.

" There's…more complications than that, Tommy."

" Yeah? What could be more complicated than you waiting three years to tell me that I have a son?" Tommy stood, facing away from Kim. He barely heard her.

" He's not your son."

" What?" Tommy turned, not sure he heard her correctly.

" I said that he's not your son. And before you start, no, Tristan doesn't know. He doesn't know who his father is, but he probably thinks it's you."

" Who's is he? If he's not mine, which you gave me every belief he was, then who's child is he?" The timeline fit in his mind, it was very well possible that he _was_ the father.

" I don't know, Tommy," Kim lied.

" How can you-"

" Do the math! You know! And I don't want to talk about it!" Tommy sat back down, looking at Kim. He finally realized why Kim seemed so empty. But he also knew part of what she said was a lie. He couldn't place which part, though.

" Are you ever going to talk about it? Who he was? Who _you_ were?"

" You're asking if I willingly conceived Tristan. Technically, yes."

" So, you weren't-"

" No, just a little out of it, and I was lonely. Noel was a good friend, I trusted him. Even after I ended things with you, he was supportive. Those times he kissed me never happened again. So I went to him. He made me feel so guilty, and maybe it was because he loved me. But he became so obsessed. And then when we did-when Tris was conceived, he totally dumped me. I never loved him. I just knew I couldn't go back to you. If I did, you'd think so little of me."

" Kim, that would _never_ happen, and you know it." Kim rose, straightening her clothes self-consciously.

" So, is that the difficult q-and-a? Because I should probably go. I'll wait for Tris and the guys to get back, but the less time I spend _here_ the better for all of us."

" Sure, Kim, are we friends?"

" I could never expect less, Thomas Oliver," Kim said as she hugged Tommy tightly.

" Maybe someday, Beautiful. But we're not ready right now. Keep in touch?"

" Of course," she said, just as the guys returned.

" We got it to go, in case you wanted some," Adam held the box of pizza up.

" Yeah, no Rocky, so the food's still there."

" Where _is _Rocky?" Kim looked around.

" Stone Canyon, rehab for his back this weekend."

" Oh, well, I better be going, come on, Tris, say 'bye to everyone."

" Are we leaving? For good?" Tristan asked Kim. She looked at Tommy directly and almost began to cry for the millionth time that day.

" No, Tris, not for good. But, I want you to meet your grandma, and she lives somewhere else. Say 'bye' to Tommy and Uncle Adam. Say 'bye' to Uncle Justin, too."

" Bye, Uncle Adam and Uncle Justin. Bye, _Tommy," _Tristan said as he and Kim exited. The door shut behind them, and Tommy turned back to his friends.

" Not now, guys. I'll explain it all sometime. Right now, food."


	4. Letters

Sorry it's been so long everyone, but there were computer problems that involved a partial system recovery. Good news is that I am OCD and backed up my writing. Bad news is that I have to go through six hundred files of junk to get to it, so the process of getting everything back may be slow. Anyway, this chapter's short but it's a segue into the future because I couldn't figure out how to work Tommy into Reefside without a big jump, so read, review, and thanks!

_I cannot believe how long it's been, Kim. Tris seems to be getting so big. I'm sorry I didn't get to fly out for his tenth birthday. But, this college thing really paid off, huh? Dr. Thomas Oliver. Thanks for the card, and balloons. I couldn't believe the colors. I've been offered a job at a high school. It's weird to think of the idea of teaching, especially when I think about poor Ms. Applebee at AGHS. But, this town's called Reefside. It's a lot like Angel Grove._

_I hope you can fly out, the company I'm working with right now is willing to send the jet out for you and Tris. They're really grateful for my assistance in this project. I wish I could tell you about it. Maybe someday, I will, but they want it top secret._

_Send Tris my love._

_Dr. Thomas Oliver, With Love_

_**Hey, Handsome! Tris just told me that you called yesterday. Sorry I couldn't pick up the phone. I was with a class. You've really got my curiosity peaked with this Mercer-Oliver project. I hope that you do well with it, even though you can't tell me what it is. I have the summer off, so I will be able to visit in Reefside. I can't wait, I'm so excited. Only four months! By the time you get this letter, your Top Secret project will be done, and you'll be a science teacher at Reefside High, so good luck. And those pictures you sent of your house! Wow! It's so beautiful! I can't wait to see it in person. Anyway, my class is going well,. I've got so many eager young girls. Tommy, you should see them, some are really going to take this somewhere. I've got three classes a week, plus my job at the Y. My schedule's pretty packed, but it's great. **_

_**Tris has followed in someone's footsteps and picked up karate. He's pretty good. I'm proud of him, but he wants you teach him some things when we go out there.**_

_**Love, Kimberly Ann Hart**_

_**P.S. Why haven't you sent any pictures of you? Tris (and maybe me a little) want to see you.**_

_**Dear Tommy,**_

_**It's me, Tristan. Mommy said I could write you my own letter, and she'd send it. I hope she doesn't read it. Not because it's bad, but because I wanna tell you a secret. She told me about my daddy. Not who he was, but that you weren't him. She was really sad, too, so I told her that it was okay. I was sad you weren't my daddy, too. I can't wait until this summer, I get to spend the whole summer with you! She showed me pictures, and I love the woods, so I love your house. It's so big! There must be room for hundreds of people. My spelling's getting a lot better. I even got an 'A'. But you know that, Mommy said she sent you a report card. She says that you are a doctor, too, is that spelled right? If you're a doctor, then can you heal people and stuff? I hope you write me back, I read real good. Bye Tommy. I would call you Uncle Tommy, but Mommy said that you're not my uncle. What is an uncle? And why can't you be that, since you can't be my daddy? There isn't anything else to write, but Mommy says I'm supposed to write my name down on the bottom. Bye, Tommy.**_

_**Tristan Thomas Hart**_


	5. Getting To Know You Again

-1Okay, I found this one tonight, too. So I'll just post it now, and again I ask, please review. Please, pretty please with a little white ranger on top?

Tommy sat down his most recent letters on the coffee table after he had read them. Connor, Kira, Trent, and Ethan sat in his living room. For three months he had been leading the DinoThunder Rangers into battles, and for three months the teenagers had deemed his home the hangout spot other than Haley's.

" So, Dr. O, do you have any big summer plans?"

" As a matter of fact, a good friend of mine will be coming in to stay the summer."

" Ooh!" Kira perked up. " A good friend from The Video?"

" Yes, Kira. Kim Hart, the pink ranger."

" Oh, the dark haired one, the gymnast?" Connor smiled brightly.

" Connor," Kira warned, leaning back against the sofa.

" Were you attempting to hit on Kim?" Tommy laughed.

" What's so funny? She might like a younger man."

" This," Tommy handed Connor a current picture of Kim " is Kim. And this is her son, Tristan."

" Oh, wow. He's so cute." Kira awed over the picture. Ethan sat up Tommy's laptop on the coffee table.

" Hey, Dr. O, when was the last time you checked your e-mail?"

" Yesterday, why?"

" Because you have an emergency message."

" Oh, no, last time I had one of those…" Tommy sat at the computer and opened his message. Rather than an alarming message of world peril, though, he found something much more interesting. Kim had written him to tell that she would be in town much sooner than expected. In fact, she was waiting at the airport right then.

" So? Is everything all right?" Trent asked, leaning forward from his seat next to Kira.

" Yeah, it's great. Say, do you guys want to take a trip to the airport? I'd really rather have Tristan ride in your car, Connor. The last thing he needs is my Jeep."

" Kid's not used to eighty five degree weather?"

" Funny. Are you in?" The group all nodded. Ethan and Connor jumped in Connor's sports car, and Kira and Trent climbed into Tommy's Jeep.

" So, Dr. O. This Kim girl, she's your…"

" My ex-girlfriend. We were together for about three years. During high school. We haven't dated in ten years."

" Ten years? Hold on, is Tristan _your_ son?" Kira seemed shocked.

" Whoa! I never knew, Dr. Oliver."

" No, Tris isn't _my_ son. Sort of step-son, I guess, but not my son." Kira smiled and leaned her head back against her seat.

" This is unbelievably romantic. And, sadly enough, I find that sweet."

" Wow, Kira has found her romantic side," Trent teased her. She shoved him back a little. Tommy pulled into the airport, and the teens hopped out of the vehicle. Kira giggled as he nervously adjusted his black button-down shirt. He dusted off his khaki slacks, and fidgeted with his glasses.

" Don't forget the hair," Connor kidded. Tommy checked his hair anyway.

" And this girl's your _ex_?" Ethan asked. Tommy smiled as he shrugged. He led the group into the terminal.

There were more people than he was used to seeing in the Reefside Airport, and most from flights in the state. He headed toward the terminal he knew would be the long-distance flights, and he saw the passengers had just unloaded. Tommy searched for the trademark caramel colored hair. He saw then his petite Kim and her son Tristan. He _really_ had grown. He stood four and half feet tall, really close to his mother's height, and his hair had been cut neatly short. He held in his hand a backpack, and a larger bag over his shoulders. Kim held her three bags next to her as she read the brochure she had probably picked out from the counter. Tommy walked up behind her.

" Hello, Beautiful," he whispered over her shoulder. Kim jumped a foot in the air. She squealed happily and threw her arms around him. He lifted her into the air and hugged her tightly. As he sat her down, Tristan had maneuvered his way in front of Tommy.

" Hey, Tommy."

" Hey, Tris, wow, you've gotten big. Come here!" Tommy hugged Tristan tightly against him.

" Dr. Thomas Oliver, you did not tell me about this," Kim chided playfully, motioning at his now spiky hair.

" Surprise, do you hate it?"

" No! I mean, it's a big change, but it looks good."

" Well, Kim, I'd like you to meet some of my students: Connor, Kira, Ethan, and Trent."  
" Nice to meet all of you," Kim smiled. Although she found it a little odd that high school students would be spending free time with their teacher, she rationalized it to be some extra credit work.

" Dr. O's told us a lot about you, he seemed really excited to hear you were coming," Kira said, smiling at the little boy. Kim smiled gratefully at the yellow-clad girl. She remembered what it was like when she was a teenager hanging out with the guys, and she felt a familiar camaraderie with the girl. Then Kim looked closely at the four teens. _Red, yellow, blue, and white? And Tommy in black? Oh no._

" Tommy…no, no, no…" Kim warned. She looked at him with a knowing glare. It was a look she would probably use on Tristan when he brought home what she could only describe as 'eww.'

" What?" Tommy questioned. It had been a long time since he had seen Kim, and he wasn't well-versed in her new looks. He was truly stumped as to her thoughts.

" You, Thomas Oliver, know very well what I'm thinking." He squinted at her curiously and led her to the car. Tommy practically had to beg Tristan to ride in Connor's car, but when the young boy saw it, he jumped at the chance. Kira, Ethan, and Trent also rode, so that Kim and Tommy could talk in his vehicle.

" So? Are you enjoying Reefside so far?"

" Tommy, I've only seen the airport."

" Yes, well, I'll change that. You _have_ to go to the mall, of course. You'll love my house, I hope. And this café in town is where everyone hangs out. My friend, Haley, you remember me telling you about her? She runs it," Tommy explained.

" Your house? You told me you'd tell me about it?"  
" Yeah, it's a cabin. One master bedroom and master bath, one guest with a bath. And a half bath next to the den. And another guest room next to that. I have a kitchen and dining area that's really open, and a study loft over the master bedroom and living area. The stairs come down…"

" You could have included pictures of the inside, you know. Wow, I didn't know you loved interior design so much," Kim kidded.

" When I read about this place, it was so perfect I memorized it."

" Yeah, well, that still doesn't explain why you, a guy who loves the city, moved literally into the middle of nowhere," Kim edged.

" I enjoy privacy," Tommy replied nonchalantly. Kim raised her eyebrows. Tommy caught her glance and smiled.

" Your gonna have to tell me eventually, before I stumble upon you or the kids morphing."

" What?" Tommy veered on the road slightly.

" You couldn't give it up, Thomas. I knew it. Once the leader, always the leader, huh?"

" Black Ranger, actually."

" I couldn't guess."

" New color, new assignment."

" New assignment?"

" Kinda playing Zordon now," he responded guiltily. Kim sat her head back against the seat and looked sideways at him.

" Things can change so much, but stay so similar, huh?"

" Yeah, I guess so," he replied, turning the Jeep off the main road onto a dirt road that delved deeply into the wooded area outside Reefside. Connor's red sports car turned behind him, and they cruised down the road. When they finally ended at the house, Kim gasped.

" Wow," she breathed. " It's so gorgeous. When you were…I didn't think. Wow."

" I know." He hopped out and grabbed the bags from the back. He opened her door for her just as she was about to.

" Always a gentleman, huh?"

" Old habits," he responded. She hopped out of the jeep, and Tristan crashed into her.

" Mommy! It's so great! Kira was telling me all about this place! I wanna stay forever!"

" I'm not arguing," Tommy half-joked. Kim couldn't hide her shock, though, when she looked at him. Tommy picked Tristan up and sat him on his shoulders. He also put Kim's bag on his shoulder, and pulled the wheeled duffle behind him. Kim grabbed two other bags, while the teens gathered the rest of the luggage. They made their way inside the house.

Tommy had given a tour of the house to his guests, and Tristan had promptly crashed in the small twin bed Tommy had bought, unbeknownst to Kim, just recently to put in one of the spare rooms he fit as a guest room. The room adjacent to the master suite by a small door was another guest room, which he sat Kim's luggage in. He and Kim now sat in the kitchen, drinking coffee to help remove the edge of weariness.

He laughed for the millionth time as he noticed Kim's stare had returned to his hair. " Do you really like it?"

" Yeah," she responded, reaching up and stroking the spikes. It was attractive, maybe not as luxurious as his shoulder-length 'do, but it definitely looked good. He smiled at her in the same mischievous grin he had in high school.

" So, what do you wanna see first?" He asked, rising from the island to head into the cozy den. Kim followed, and they rested on the plush couch. Tommy leaned back into the corner and she pulled her feet up under her to face him.

" Well, I sort of wanted to just relax for a little while," she confided, leaning toward him slightly. " And get welcomed back."

" Oh?" He flirted. Kim raised her eyebrows. " In that case, welcome home, Beautiful." He leaned back, grinning wickedly.

" Oh, I have _not _ e-mailed back and forth for five years for that." In response he pulled her against him and kissed her with the built-up passion he had inside.

" Is that what you've waited five years for?" Tommy asked.

" Well, it's a start," she confided. She leaned against the sofa back.

" You wanna see the Headquarters?" Tommy questioned.

" Really?"

" Yeah," Tommy responded. He had so many questions he never had the courage to ask, and he didn't want little ears to hear them. Tommy led her into the new Power Chamber, showing her all the gear, and finally sat down at the desk. She joined him.

" You have a look," she chided.

" Hmm? What look?"

" The look you get when you wanna ask something. The look you had when you asked me to the dance."

" Kim, I still have doubts."

" About us? I thought we'd waited long enough, Tommy, but if you're not ready to get back into a relationship, then I'll-"

" No," he interrupted. " I've never been more sure about anything else. As far as being with you, it's been far too long. But, it's Tris,"

" What?"

" Zordon left notes. Kim, for Tris to have the power he does, he'd _have_ to have two Rangers' genetics. He _has _to be my son," Tommy pressed.

" I hoped, Tommy, but,"

" It was just after Christmas. When I came to see you and we kind of had that fight because I had to leave so soon? And you were feeling lonely, and confused. You felt we were over, because of Kat. And so you and this guy get together, and you automatically assume. Kim, unless there's something you didn't know about this guy, I'm Tris's father."

" I wanna believe that. And, in every aspect you are, but the time."

" It works, Kim."

" Tommy, whether or not the genes are yours, you've always been his father," she whispered, near tears. She paused for several moments, then continued, sighing.

" I never told you about school. It was the day where all the kids, you know, they bring their dads to school? And, Tris, he didn't have that, so he, he brought a picture. Of you. And he said his daddy was in school to be a doctor, that he was a hero. He said his daddy saved the world on a daily basis. I've never been more proud of him,"

" Let me be here. I've missed too much. _We_ can train him, Kim. He can go to school here, and learn his destiny. We can be a family. Maybe not the most conventional, but a family nonetheless."

" It's not a decision to be made lightly, Tommy. Why don't we see if you can live with us first. This week is going to be interesting,"

" Kimberly, if I can deal with you for three years, I can handle anything," Tommy joked and she slapped him playfully.

" Why don't we go upstairs again. I'm getting some serious déjà vu while we're here."

" Yeah. Um, so…what do you think?"

" About? This place?"

" You'll have to see more, and, of course I'll take you to the best places."

" It's a big decision. Moving here. Taking Tris out of school. But he does love it here. Let me think about it."

" I will. Well, no more tour, I suppose," he said as they walked back into the living room. She stood by the stereo looking around the room. He reached down to a CD case that Kira had given him. She'd put together a collection of music to make him "cooler" she'd said. He found one in particular that she'd given him.

" What's on your mind?" Kim asked as Tommy put the CD in and shifted it to the right track.

" Dance with me?"


End file.
